Banbury opened their home League menu in fine style when they took the lead after just 15 seconds, which could well be the quickest score in their history.

Finn Howell raced down the left wing before sending in a cross into the path of Levi Steele, who coolly headed the ball home from 8 yards out to give the Puritans a dream start.

The Racers looked thoroughly demoralised but, to their credit, from a position of some panic, they set about reducing the deficit with some fine play and soon took hold of the game. Banbury were soon struggling to get the ball out of their own half as Warwick started to dominate play.

The visitors had at least four chances in 15 minutes to get back on terms, but poor finishing kept the sheet clean until the 35th minute, when they got the all-important equaliser. Aaron Opoku won the ball in a dangerous area and Connor Keene slotted the loose ball home.

Racing Club Warwick were well on top now, and United’s ploy of sending every goal-kick and defensive clearance down the left wing was definitely not working. Connor Ferguson was almost unused wide on the right, but the next best chance fell to Joel Anker, and he was unlucky when his trademark overhead hooked shot was brilliantly flicked over the bar by Racing’s ‘keeper, Tom Allsopp, in first-half injury time.

With the game all square, Banbury looked to have taken some notice of any instructions received during the half-time break, and they looked a different team.

In the 54th minute, Anker curled a shot just wide of the far post, and two minutes later, a cross from the right saw both Anker and Steele having goal-bound shots blocked by some desperate defending from Warwick. However, Banbury need not worry because, in the 57th minute, from the edge of the penalty box, Steele got his and Banbury’s second to put the home side in front.

Banbury were now playing a lot better than in the first 45 minutes, and a thunderbolt in the 64th minute flew just wide from Alex Prosser, with Allsopp rooted to the spot.

The game could have changed in the 73rd minute when a Warwick effort rattled the crossbar and the visitors poured men forward, but with Ben Nash coming into the fray in the 79th minute, status quo was restored and United saw the game out, even though Nash and Anker were both unlucky when their shots were blocked.

One unsavoury incident went unnoticed by the referee in the 95th minute when an off-the-ball blow in the centre circle ended up with Banbury captain Alex Prosser suffering a suspected broken nose, and it will be interesting to see what camera angles were available when the incident is looked at later.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Harrison Mole, Finn Howell, Aaron McCreadie, Jacob Scott, Otis Castle, Connor Ferguson, Alex Prosser (captain) (90+5 mins, Joel Giblin), Levi Steele (85 mins, Joey Evans), Rico Patterson (79 mins, Ben Nash), Joel Anker. Subs (not used): Max Fuller, Oran Jackson.

Racing Club Warwick: Tom Allsopp, Ryan Moore, Alex Worley, Jay Higgins-Pugsley, Kyle Barnett (captain), Kieran Cooney, Archie Hamp (60 mins, Kai Williams), James Hancocks (66 mins, Hisham Chiha), Aaron Opoku, Connor Keene (84 mins, Cameron Ebbutt), Jude Collins. Subs (not used): Connor Taylor, Nile Timson.

Attendance: 682